Death Born Miracles
by MydnytAngel
Summary: After failing to turn Elena's feelings back on through torture, will Damon find a breakthrough to finally help Elena? 15 reviews for next chapter :) and i do apologize for the uploading confusion. definitely a large chunk of story missing
1. Chapter 1

Damon paced the parlor of the boarding house, his patience all but worn thin. But it was his fault. He was the one that made her turn everything off. But it broke him every day, seeing the empty shell his Elena had become. She was everything to him. She was his light, his world… and without her, what did he have? He should have tried harder, shown her was strong enough to handle her at her worst. But he had given in to Stefan. And now she was suffering. More than Damon could bear.

Their attempt to torture Elena into feeling had failed. The amount of pain they put her threw made him sick to his stomach. But he was out of options. Elena was starving. He could feel it in his bones. No matter how much she denied it now, he knew they had a connection, more powerful than either of them could have ever imagined. He had been through some dark times in his life but when Elena lost Jeremy, Damon felt her pain crushing him on the inside. And he felt the dark void that engulfed her when she turned it off. If he was honest with himself, he was scared to death. He may never get her back. It may be too late by the time she realized feeling was worth it.

He heard the car pull up and had the door open before Bonnie even got to the steps. "'bout time" he grumbled. "Any luck?" He really didn't want to involve magic, but it might be their only shot. He had begged Bonnie to find a way to help her, even if it meant digging deeper into the magic. He didn't care. He would do whatever it took.

Bonnie frowned at his rudeness. "I have something I'm going to try," she said heading to the basement with her bag. She set up various candles around the cellar where Elena lay lifelessly. "Don't get your hopes up." Elena's grief had clouded everything in her so badly, it was almost impossible for basic spells to get through to her.

Damon folded his arms as he stood in the doorway, his eyes locked on Elena's face. "She's weak," he said bluntly as Bonnie tiptoed around the sleeping vampire. Elena wouldn't be able to harm anyone with the blood she had lost and the lack of feeding. He'd be lucky if she even opened her beautiful eyes that he missed every minute of every day.

Her wild curls were fanned out over the lumpy pillow, her beautiful face sunken and gray. "She's starving," Bonnie said in a hushed whisper, her voice nearly cracking. "She can't last much longer." Elena's absence in all their lives was taking its toll on every single one of them. She held them together and without her, they were all falling apart. She was the strong one that helped everyone get through the nightmare of their lives.

Damon knew exactly what happened to a vampire when they starved and it was brutal for him as an experienced vampire. For Elena, as a fledgling, her body was caving in on itself. "I know she can't," he said. She would need blood. He would be unable to deny her pleas for nourishment much longer. Their demons called to each other. He wasn't strong enough to deny her anymore.

Bonnie's eyes closed as chanted some ancient language. Damon gave up trying to keep track of everything in her spell books. The air softened, her eyes darkening as they focused on Elena. A dark glow flickered around her friend's prone body, it wasn't a strong glow but it was there. Bonnie's brow creased seeing a white glow around Elena's abdomen. Her eyes returned to normal as she glanced at Damon with wide eyes. "Oh my god," she whispered.

"What?" He demanded taking an angry step toward the witch as she got to her feet. He didn't like the look on the witch's face. Maybe Elena was too far gone… he was going to lose her. His fragile heart started to crack; the thought of losing his entire world was crippling him. "What did you see?"

Bonnie blew out the candles and rushed him out of her cell. Damon secured the lock before going upstairs. "It's not possible," she said shaking her head.

"What's wrong with her?" Damon said angrily. "Tell me Bonnie!" It didn't like the feeling of dread that came over him. He couldn't watch her die in front of him; watch her slip away from everyone. They had to do something.

"She's pregnant," Bonnie said. "Elena's pregnant."

Damon backed away from her as if she burnt him. The floor disappeared from under his feet as he collapsed on the couch. "She's… she's a vampire Bonnie," he said shaking his head as logic tried to reason with him. Vampires couldn't have children. He knew that for a fact. He wasn't proud of it, but he slept with enough vampire women to know. But then again Elena was different. He'd like to say it was because she was the doppelganger, but Katherine never ended up pregnant. It just didn't make any sense.

"I've only read about it," she said folding her arms. "Only when a vampire mates with their soul mate can they reproduce. But the chance of ever finding your soul mate… and mating… well it's only happened in stories. I've never heard of a real account of this Damon."

"Oh my god," Damon said running a hand through his hair. That's why she was so weak. She had a growing life inside of her. A life they created together. A life that could be damaged already after the days of torture. At his own hand. "This can't be happening."

"What are you going to do?" Bonnie whispered. "You don't know what's growing inside of her Damon. You don't know what this could do to her. It could be a demon. It could be killing her or making her worse."

"But I can't make any decisions without her Bonnie," he said sadly. He couldn't take their child's life, demon or not, without talking to Elena about it. She would want him to consider every available option before harm. Emotions or not, he couldn't risk her hating him forever. "I have to fix her. Don't tell anyone. She's not safe." He needed more time to help her. He needed another plan.

Bonnie sighed. "Look, I believe Elena's feelings for you were real," she said honestly. "You didn't sire her on purpose and you didn't make her love you. This proves it."

"Awww," Came an eerily familiar voice. "Are we interrupting?"

"What's going on?" Stefan asked.

Damon's face hardened as he glared at Katherine. He could barely stand the sight of her, especially now being so distant from Elena. Not like she made it any easier for any of them. Constantly reminding them of what they lost. What he had lost. And every second he spent looking at Katherine made him want to break her jaw into a thousand pieces. "What the hell is she doing here?" he growled, clenching his hands to hide their shaking. He couldn't handle anymore taunting, especially from Katherine. He would snap.

"I'm going to talk some sense into perfect Elena," Katherine said as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

Damon narrowed his eyes at her. "If you hurt her Katherine, I will rip you to pieces slowly," he said, in a dangerously low voice. "Are we clear?"

"She won't," Stefan said, moving between them. "We need to reach a deeper part of her Damon. Katherine can be ruthless. Just with words. She's doing this for me Damon. It'll be fine."

Katherine brushed passed Damon, rubbing the length of his body, causing him to almost snarl at her. "This is a bad idea," he said pouring himself a drink. He headed to the back porch with a bottle of scotch, unable to listen to Katherine taunt his love. He wanted her to wake up, more than anything. But he wasn't sure how much more trauma he could witness. How could he tell Elena she was pregnant? What if she didn't want a baby? His heart ached at that thought. Never in his life did he imagine this could happen. It was the best and worst thing all rolled into one.


	2. Chapter 2

Damon paced the parlor even more, his brain becoming a never ending abyss of thoughts on how to protect his family. But first… he needed Elena. He had known all along that she was his, they were meant to be. After an entire bottle of scotch he had began to think rationally. And now, she was about to give him a miracle. Something he never imagined could happen to him; to them. A baby… he couldn't help the small smile that graced his lips at the thought of a child with the woman he loved. He growled and headed towards the stairs. She needed food. However before he could get to the freezer he noticed her cell door wide open. Katherine left hours ago… He should have known that bitch would try something. He stormed upstairs and out into the night, his phone nearly breaking as he dialed his maker's number. "What the hell did you do to her Katherine?" he flared. How could he not have heard Elena sneak out? She was going to slaughter half the town in her frenzy, fueled by Katherine's nonsense.

"I fixed her," she purred. "What do you think she felt having her brother's killer taunting her? Think she could resist? Maybe she will only kill some of the people in town. Maybe you will stop her in time before she kills everyone. But even you aren't that good Damon. Remember, she doesn't love you anymore."

Damon hung up and double timed to the cemetery. She had to be there. Her scent was thick in the air, heavy with anger; a consuming rage that he had never experienced, even within himself. His heart felt heavier and heavier as he made his way to Jeremy's grave. His heart clenched, seeing her standing there all disheveled and dirty. But he didn't care. Very slowly, he approached not wanting to scare her or threaten her. His throat was tight with emotion as he struggled to not let Katherine get to him this way.

"You made me starve," she said, her voice crisp in the air. But her eyes remained firmly on the stone in front of her.

"I know," he said softly. She still hadn't fed, which he took as almost a good sign. She hadn't killed anyone yet. "You didn't leave me much choice."

"There is always a choice," she said lifting her eyes to his. Katherine had failed. The spark in her eyes was gone; they were still lifeless and empty. "I'm not going to let you lock me back up."

"I don't want to," he said shaking his head. "I never wanted that Elena." Never again would he have the strength to lock her back up. She deserved to be happy, to be free of this darkness. She deserved better.

"You want me to be the way I was before," she said backing away from him. Elena had been many things, but afraid of him was never one of them. Not even when he tormented her and her friends… she never backed away from him like she did now. She was slipping right in front of his eyes… he was on the verge of losing her. Forever.

"No," Damon growled. "You know that is not true. Not once since I met you Elena have I ever wanted to change who you are. I just want you to be happy and at one time you were." They were. He knew they were in love. Yes it had taken them a long time to finally come together, but he knew they were meant to me. Baby or no baby.

The planes of her beautiful face hardened. "You mean when I was still human and in love with Stefan?" she said hatefully. "Is that what you want from me Damon? To return to your brother's bed? I'm sure Katherine will have a field day with that. She can pick up all the pieces to your broken dead heart if I go back to Stefan and the two of you can bathe in the bloodshed together just like you always wanted."

Damon struggled not to vomit as he cornered her against a large mausoleum. He could not give in to her. "I'm talking about when you finally opened up to me," he said his finger trailing down her cheek. "When you finally allowed yourself to give in to your feelings for me. We danced in front of the fire…"

"Stop," she said trying to move away from him. "It was just sex Damon."

Damon's hips pinned her against the stone. Despite being dead, the heat radiated between them, almost burning him alive at her touch. "You keep saying that," he said softly. "But do you remember that night Elena? How happy and how in love you were Elena? We made love all night. You wrapped your legs around me like you never wanted to let go. You bit me the first time you came… I bit you back as you clenched me so hard I thought I would combust. That isn't just sex Elena. Not for vampires. And I promise you that there will never be anyone other than you."

Elena shook her head, her eyes falling closed as she tried to block out the memories. "It was nothing," she whispered.

Damon's lips lowered to her shoulder, her body instantly reacting to his. He was barely holding his own control in check. He was almost trembling being this close to her again. "You know in your heart it wasn't nothing," he said nuzzling her. "And you know what Elena? Your brother wouldn't want you like this." Her body started shaking, subtly, but enough to show him he was winning. Barely. "Jeremy wouldn't want you to be like this."

"We'll never know," she said in defeat. "He'll never graduate and get married. Have children. He'll never get to live his life Damon."

His hands cupped her jaw, stroking her cheeks, her eyes still unwilling to meet his. "I know," he said softly. "Even in death Elena, beautiful things happen." He had to tell her. She had to know that she had this life growing inside of her, that she had something worth fighting for. They had something worth fighting for together.

"No they don't," she said shaking her head. "The last few years have been nothing but death. And nothing good has ever lasted in any of our lives."

"Did you know, that when a vampire finds their soul mate…" he gently placed her hand on his heart. "And if they mate, there is a chance they can conceive?"

Elena's haunted eyes finally met his. "What?" she asked in confusion.

"It's rare," he said running his hand through her tangled curls. "Lifespan of vampires isn't a set number. Could take hundreds of years and the mating ritual is unknown. Except by those who partake in it." Only by fate's hand could they mate as one, the way they had. It wasn't a coincidence.

"What does that have to do with anything?" she asked, unaware that her hips were rubbing against his, causing his jeans to become increasingly tighter. "You thing we're soul mates Damon? That's cheesy, even for you."

Damon tilted her face up to his as he inhaled her scent deep into his lungs. How could she not understand what he was saying? "The life growing inside of you says otherwise love," he said softly.

Her stomach dropped. "What?" She shook her head. "You can't know that." She struggled to break free of his grasp. "Please let go of me."

The crack of her voice made him reluctantly take a step away from her. "I love you, Elena," he said in a tender voice. "I will always love you, no matter what. And we can be happy again. I can make you happy." They could all be happy. He knew they could be a family, even in this crazy world. He would keep them safe.

"Can you bring back my brother Damon?" she flared. "No you can't. Nothing will bring him back. That will never be okay."

"You're right," he said. "I can't. As much as I want to Elena, as much as we all want to, I can't fix it. You think I like seeing you in pain? You think I like locking you up in the same prison that Stefan starved me? You think it didn't kill me every minute knowing you were starving? Do you know much of me has broken along with you these last few weeks?" He still tried to meet her eyes but she refused.

"I can't deal with this," she said, running a shaky hand over her face. "This can't be happening. 

In his moment of weakness, he sensed her muscles tense all too late. "Elena…" But she was gone, her scent hanging in the wind.


	3. Chapter 3

Elena didn't know what to think, but the more she was on her own, the more confused she felt. Her emotions were running haywire. As a human she was an emotional wreck on occasion, but as a vampire it was even worse. Her initial impulse was to feed, her instincts were telling her to do so, but her brain and stomach were rolling at the thought. She had killed people. She had become a monster she had tried so hard to hide. She had to return to the boarding house. She had nowhere else to go. If nothing else she was hungry. She let herself in quietly, flinching when Stefan came into view. His presence alone was enough to suffocate her and she didn't need to breathe.

"Elena," Stefan said, taking a cautious step forward.

She folded her arms. "I need a shower," she said. "And I don't want to talk." Especially not to him. Her head still felt like it was spinning, everything Damon had told her. He touched her. For the first time in months, someone had really touched her. And she wanted more. Her skin was practically crawling, itching to touch him, feel his skin beneath her fingers, to taste him. She hadn't forgotten everything he made her feel and how close her surface was to cracking. Not only that… he still loved her. After everything, Damon still loved her and she felt it. And she hated it.

Now she knew why he fought so hard against her when she tried to make him feel. When she tried to make him be the better man. Damon had been around a lot longer then her, endured a lot more pain then she ever could imagine. And she had pushed him. Now he was doing the same for her. But god it hurt.

Stefan nodded. "Still your house Elena," he said softly. "You're safe here."

"Nowhere is safe," she said heading upstairs. Her feet carried her to Damon's room; all her stuff was there. Damon's scent invaded her lungs, nearly choking her. The sheets were still unmade in his bed, and she could still smell their combined scent still lingered. Her fingers ghosted over the comforter, causing the lump to grow in her throat. She wanted to return to her old life. She wanted to be happy again. She wanted to crawl into bed with Damon and never leave. She forced it down as she headed to the bathroom. Everything still seemed to be the way she left it. He knew she would come home to him and he was waiting. He'd always wait for her, and she knew that.

One look at herself in the mirror, to see the mess she was; dirt was smeared over her face, her hair matted and knotted in the mess of curls. She hardly looked like herself. Yet she had allowed herself to briefly glance at Damon earlier, seen the look of love in his eyes, even when she looked like death warmed over. Her hands went to her stomach and she could feel the warmth coming from inside her, the instant connection. Damon wouldn't lie about something so very precious to them. Damon wouldn't lie to her period. Very slowly the warmth enveloped her, softly folding over her cold heart. "Oh god," she choked as one tear slid from her eye. Her vision blurred as the weight of agony began to crush her chest.

Her arms banded around her stomach as she sank the floor, huddled against the corner of the tub. His smell assaulted her nose once more as the front door opened. "Damon," she whispered. She knew Stefan had called him as soon as she went upstairs. She didn't think Damon would be this fast though. But she could not get her senses together to even hide her feelings.

His bedroom door opened as she heard his jacket hit the floor. He sniffed the air and then he was in the doorway. "Elena," he said carefully taking a step toward her. When her eyes met his, he dropped next to her, pulling her into his arms, curling his legs under her. Sobs wracked her frame, her cries piercing him over and over. Her hands fisted in his shirt, her face pressed against his neck as she cried over the death of her brother. She shivered in his embrace, but tried to pull him closer to her, tried to crawl inside of him. He would keep her safe, she knew he would. He would make this better.

Damon cradled her head against him, rocking her gently. "I'm here sweetheart," he said softly pressing a kiss to her messy hair. She tried to stop the tears from pouring down her face but there was no stopping them, not after this long. "I'm not going anywhere." He tilted his head away from her, allowing her access to his neck. "You need to eat."

Her gums ached painfully at the thought of his blood pumping so close to her teeth. God she wanted everything he was offering to her, but she couldn't accept it. It wouldn't be right after everything she had put him through. She shook her head. "I'll hurt you," she said softly, ducking her gaze. "Again." Her voice was scratchy and raw.

He forced her eyes up to his. Her eyes were blood shot from tears and hunger. "Don't do that," he said gently. "You need this Elena." He knew he shouldn't push her, but his need to make her healthy again… their baby needed it.

She shook her head. "I can wait," she said struggling to push herself up and away from him. He made it impossible for her to think clearly when he was this close to her, pressed against all her curves. "I just need a shower." She just needed to clear her head for a minute so she could think rationally with him. There was too much going on and she couldn't focus.

"Good to see you're still stubborn," he said, keeping an arm around her as he fixed the water for her. She forced her body not to lean in to him, not to nuzzle him, not to do everything that she knew would make this better. She kept her gaze on the tiled floor, unwilling to look at him. "It'll be okay Elena." They could do this together now. The way it should have been the first time. He was strong enough to help her through this. He would never let anyone separate them ever again. Being apart from Damon was one of the worst feelings she had ever experienced.

She sniffled. "I don't know how," she mumbled taking a small step away from him. She reached a shaky hand caked in dirt out to grip the counter, to keep herself from buckling under her own nerves. She knew Jeremy would not want her like this… but almost everything she had ever done was to keep him safe and she had failed. Her brother was gone. She promised her parents she would take care of him and now he was dead.

Damon watched her for a moment. "Are you afraid of me Elena?" he asked softly.

That question was almost enough to snap her out of her daze. "No," she said in horror as she shook her head, causing a few lone tears to slide down her cheeks. She could never be afraid of him. Damon was all she had left and he had never hurt her. She knew he would not start now. "I just…" She shook her head and sniffled trying to calm the rolling thunderstorm in her brain and heart.

He carefully took another step toward her. "Then what?" he asked carefully.

She raised frightened eyes briefly to his before giving into the urge to run. "This was a bad idea," she said, moving to go around him. It was too much for her. Too many feelings at one time. And she knew with no uncertainty that she could not deal with her feelings for Damon right now.

"Elena please," he said gently grabbing her arm. His voice was so gentle and caring, laced with unconditional love. "You don't have to run from me Elena."

"I can't do this Damon," she choked. Her legs trembled as she gripped his arms for support. He was so solid and firm beneath her. He was so strong, she could feel it. She knew deep inside her, that she could rely on him. He would help her through this. But… something held her back. "It hurts." She had to get out of here. She needed air. She couldn't breathe with him this close to her, couldn't breathe in such a closed in space.

His hand traveled down her arm to tangle with hers. "One step at a time," he said softly, his thumb moving over her wrist in soothing caress. "No one is demanding anything of you. Especially me. Let's get you clean and fed. That's what you need right now."

Elena took an unneeded breath, clenching and unclenching her fist as she struggled to calm down. "Okay," she said with a sniffle. He pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead and she reluctantly let of him as he gave her some privacy. The feeling in her stomach was becoming increasingly heavier but she stripped out of her dirty clothes before climbing under the spray. She flinched at the warmth at first then slowly began to realize how tired she was. She couldn't even lift her arm to reach for the shampoo. She leaned against the wall his name falling from her lips, barely a whisper. But she knew. He would come. His worried voice rang out in the bathroom, right behind the shower curtain.

"I'm tired," she whimpered helplessly. She heard his clothes hit the floor but still couldn't look at him as he joined her in the shower. She tried not to make a sound as his arms came around her gently backing her under the spray. Her body hummed at his touch almost singing in happiness. Something she hadn't felt in so long. It seemed like forever since she allowed herself to feel such comfort from someone.

"Shh," he whispered, gently tilting her head to wet her hair. "It's going to be okay."

His hands massaged vanilla scented shampoo into her tangled hair, gently working all the knots and mats out. The tips of fingers rubbed gently over her scalp, relaxing her slowly. Under his caress, her body relaxed against him, her canines slipping through her gums. "I hate being weak," she mumbled. She was so hungry, that wasn't a secret. But she didn't want to take advantage of him.

"You're not," he said kissing her hair, suds and all. "You are the strongest person I know." He rinsed the bubbles from her hair, smoothing it back into normalness before running her bath poof over her skin. She could not help the whimper of pleasure as his hands skimmed over her breasts, his fingers leaving a trail of fire blazing across her skin. Her body hummed under his touch, but this wasn't about sex. It was about healing, for both of them.

Elena hesitantly pressed a kiss to his shoulder when he was rinsing her off. He was just so close to her, he smelled so good. His hands felt amazing everywhere they touched. She just wanted him back; wanted them back to the way they were. "Thank you," she said, rubbing her nose against him. Every passing second she spent with him, she felt a little bit better. She was still sad, her whole body hurt, but she could breathe. She could think. She could feel without being consumed.

"You need to eat," he said running a hand over her back. "You don't have to be shy."

She wanted to. God help her she wanted. She wanted to recreate the bond that was lost on them because of her grief but he did not deserve to be hurt again. "Damon," she murmured, tilting away from him. "I'm not ready." They weren't ready. Her body was already struggling with her reaction to him. Neither of them were thinking clearly and if she wasn't so weak she knew her legs would be around his waist right now. He'd be deep inside her in every way.

The smell of her desire flooded the shower and he groaned softly. "You're killing me Elena," he whispered. "I'm sorry." She had been pushed enough. He couldn't push her further.

Tears stung her eyes again. He tried to hide it but she could hear the disappointment in his voice. She couldn't help her reaction to him. She bit her lip, hard enough to draw blood, knowing she was enticing him, even if it was unintentional. "It shouldn't be like this," she whimpered. "I'm still hurting you."

Damon turned off the water and wrapped a towel around his waist. "I'm fine Elena," he said wrapping a towel around her. "I missed you Elena. We missed each other. But we can make our bodies wait."

Her eyes fell closed as his rubbed the towel over her skin, her hands gripping his bare shoulders as he kneeled in front of her. "I'm sorry," she said sadly as he wiped the moisture from her legs. She didn't want him to be in pain anymore. She didn't want to cause him anymore pain.

Damon tried not to get upset. It wasn't her fault. And he was going to have to be a bit patient a bit longer. "Don't be sweetheart," he said, rising to his feet. "Just get comfortable and I'll bring you some blood."

"Okay," she said wiping her nose as he left her alone. She changed into her pjs, her body aching as she leaned against the door way to his bedroom. The smell of fresh blood nearly knocked her over before Damon even came back to the room. Everything was bright and loud, but she felt calm. His presence made her feel safe. Safer than she had felt in months. Her body still tingled from his touch but the ache in her jaw was overwhelming.

"You can't have too much at one time," he said apologetically when he returned. "It'll make you sick."

She nodded as she accepted the cup, her body instantly reacting to the nourishment. Her face returned to is normal fullness and color the aches disappearing almost instantly. The physical pain anyway. As she finished, her vision became more focused. "Thank you," she said softly, glancing around with a clear head. "I feel much better." She hesitantly sat on the edge of their bed, slowly inhaling their scent. She wanted to crawl under the covers and sleep but she wasn't sure where to go from here.

"Do you want to be alone?" he asked carefully. She was about to jump out of her skin, like she was afraid of him. But that was far from what she was feeling.

"No," she said honestly. She wouldn't be able to stand being alone, away from him. They had been apart for far too long already.

Damon slowly sat next to her, but didn't touch her. But she wanted him too. She needed something real again. "You can talk to me Elena," he said. "About anything."

"It's too much," she said running a hand through her wet hair. "Feeling all this." Might as well be honest. He wanted to help her, he wanted to be near her. And if she didn't talk to someone about it, she was going to suffocate. Damon would never judge her, ever.

Damon ran a hand over her back. She was surprised at herself when she didn't make any noise when he touched her, but her eyes fell closed as her muscles relaxed. "I know," he said. "But we'll get through it. One day at a time and I'll rip the tongues out of anyone that pushes you." Elena had slowly opened him up every day, slowly turning his emotions back on and slowly over time made him a nervous wreck. Elena's was just that… a switch. Instantly being overwhelmed by feeling had to be rough.

She somehow managed a small smile. "I know you will," she said. Now that he had her back, he was going to protect her with everything he had. Even against her friends. She had said some horrible things, done some horrible things. Her throat started to swell at the thought of everything she was going to have to deal with. Everyone was going to be asking questions about her, demanding apologies from her. She was going to have to make everything better for everyone now. And that thought nearly knocked the wind out of her, but she covered it with considerable difficulty.

"You need some rest," he said softly, rising to his feet.

Elena's hand shackled to his wrist. "Where are you going?" she asked. "Are you leaving?" Her voice cracked, fearing he was going to leave her. She sounded pathetic and she hated it. But she did not want to be alone anymore. She had been alone for too long.

His eyes softened as he tilted his head. "Not if you don't want me to," he said softly.

Elena stared at him with wide eyes. Even though it hurt, she had to take the first step. Damon needed her to meet him half way. She had to want him here. "Stay with me," she whispered, her grip loosening. The world didn't implode at her admission and the crushing weight didn't return to her chest, which helped her relax.

Damon raised her hand to his lips, moving them further up the bed. "Whatever you need Elena," he said. He deserved better than her. He was willing to do anything for her, after everything she had done to him. She had thrown his love in his face, pushed him away. But here he was, cradling her against him like she was the most precious thing to him.

Her tired body relaxed into his sheets that still smelled of them together. "I just… don't know if I can do this Damon. I just feel this crushing weight on my chest. All the time." Her voice trembled as she clenched her eyes closed. "He was my brother. I did everything to protect him. Everything. And she stole him from me."

Damon stared at her sadly as his fingers tangled with hers. "I never should have put you through this," he said kissing her fingers, his lips tasting her digits as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "Never should have made you turn it off. It just consumes you later. You pulled me out of the dark hole I was in Elena. And I know you're hurting and I'll hold you now 'til the end of time every time you cry." His hand traveled to her stomach that pulsed with warmth. "And I will spend every day showing you how much I love you and how precious you and our baby are. I will spend every day showing you that feeling is worth it. I promise."

She stared at her stomach where his powerful hand lay, hers slowly coming to cover his. Her fingers curled around his firmly. "A baby," she whispered in awe. "We're going to have a baby Damon." She gave up the thought of children long ago. It never even crossed her mind that it was possible. But what she had with Damon… that was amazing. She knew that from when she first laid eyes on him. And they created a life together. Their love created a new life together.

"Yeah," he said with a dumb smile. "We are."

Her hand slowly traveled up his arm, refreshing her memory of his body. "I missed you so much Damon," she whispered. It wasn't what she knew he wanted to hear, but it was all she could muster right now. She wanted to be near him, feel him next to her, in her. She did love him, with everything in her. She was just going to have to show him one day at a time. "I'm so sorry I hurt you."

His eyes stung as he kissed her shoulder, nuzzling her neck. "I knew you didn't mean it," he whispered, curling closer to her. He had felt it when she had shut herself off from him, and more importantly, he felt it when she came back to him. "I knew how bad you were hurting. I knew I couldn't make it better."

The last of the tension eased from her muscles as she snuggled against him. "I shouldn't… always rely on you to make everything better. You never fail me Damon," she said, running her hands through his hair. "I won't push you away again. I promise." She lifted her head as his arm came around her back. She pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. "I love you, Damon."

Damon pulled her closer to him, sighing into her mouth. "I love you too Elena," he said, rubbing her belly. "Both of you."


End file.
